Warmer weather and changing school schedules means we are looking forward to lots of summer fun and family vacations! It's always tricky taking small children on adventures, but it is possible. Despite naps, diapers, and nursing schedules, families with young children can still get out and enjoy some summer sunshine! Last year our family explored the beautiful Oregon Coast. My 3-year-old loved the pacific northwest beaches and our baby didn't mind coming along for the ride.

It looks a bit chilly, but the sunshine made up for the colder Oregon Coast beach temperatures. Our Oregon family vacation wasn't a typical California beach experience, but that didn't stop up from building a sandcastle, chilling on the ocean-smoothed sand, and strolling along the edges of the waves.

Our babies have always loved the beach and it's a treat because we visit the coast rather infrequently.

Wild sea urchins decorate the edges of the Oregon Coast tide pools. They are beautiful and not something our kids see everyday! My daughter loved discovering these cool new creatures.

On our Oregon family vacation we stopped at a hole in the wall coffee and tea place in Oregon and enjoyed a delicious cinnamon mocha!

Of course, a stop at a local chocolate store was a must. She had no problem choosing her favorites.

The Oregon Coast is so beautiful.

Pacific Northwest beaches are known for their ocean waves that break upon rocky cliffs. We saw such awesome scenery on our Oregon family vacation!

There were views to be found everywhere on our kid-friendly Oregon Coast hike.

This view from our Oregon Coast family vacation reminds me of the Shire from Lord of the Rings.

Throughout our Oregon family vacation we found some great photo spots on these ocean buffeted rocks for darling coastal toddler photos.

I'd love to know where this chunk of Oregon Coast driftwood has been! My daughter wasted no time scrambling up for a closer look.

Some of our Oregon Coast family vacation days were windy and misty, and the Oregon Coast tide pools offered plenty of places to explore.

One of our stops included Bandon Oregon, a small coastal town where we got coffee and had lunch. Henry the Fish is a unique creation made entirely from plastic ocean debris. It was designed using bluish fishing net and plastic pieces of different shapes and colors that were collected from the ocean. A whale bone structure crafted from white plastic containers provides the structure for this unique "recycled" piece of art. Nothing is painted, but there are plenty of marine debris in all shapes and colors, highlighting the message that marine debris is a prevalent problem.

We also went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory, a great family-friendly tour that included cheese samples. My 3-year-old had the chance to see how cheese is made and enjoy samples and ice cream at the end of the tour!

The Oregon Coast aquarium in Newport also offered lots of kids activities, including a sensory area where kids can touch sea creatures and explore ocean eco-systems within lots of viewing windows.

To top off our Oregon Coast family adventure, we enjoyed crab at a local seafood restaurant in Newport. Surprisingly, crab has quickly become one of my daughter's favorite occasional treats!

We loved adventuring on the Oregon Coast and exploring places like Newport, Tillamook, and Bandon. The Oregon Coast turned out to be a wonderful vacation with lots of activities to do with young kids and babies! We went to many little towns that each offered their own unique culture, sights, and experiences. We kept our family vacation simple and casual so we could have fun amidst nap schedules and the limited abilities of our small children. The Pacific Northwest coast was the perfect place to get away from home and enjoy a week of fun with our babies, a great Oregon family vacation! Where will you go with your family this summer?